Slaying Demons: Starting with Upgrading my Calligraphy-Chapter 684 - 570: Willpower Becomes Venerable

As the old monk flipped his palm, a golden ray shot out from the brow of the giant Buddha statue in the temple behind him.

The golden ray landed, manifesting a simple and unadorned monk's pagoda inscribed with golden Buddhist texts.

When eminent monks enter parinirvana, sometimes Buddha's fire will burn their mortal body, leaving behind Shariputra that symbolizes the essence of their Buddhist teachings.

Others, like this old monk, seal their flesh in a pagoda, becoming a Flesh Buddha Saint.

Handing the pagoda containing his Flesh Buddha Saint to Qi Xiu, the old monk seemed relieved, golden glimmers dancing in his eyes and brows.

"The old monk's wish is fulfilled, and will soon disappear. It is a pity that after waiting tens of thousands of years, my external possessions have long been worn out by time, leaving nothing to offer the True Monarch.

Only these few Buddha beads, which were magical treasures I refined during my path to enlightenment.

After years of wear, I have carefully preserved them, from one hundred and eight Buddha beads, only these last three remain preserved.

Let these serve as a token for the True Monarch."

The old monk opened his right hand, and in his palm lay three flawless, round Buddha beads, each engraved with a [卍] talisman seal, as if cast in gold, faintly emanating supreme Buddha light.

What magnificent items!

Upon seeing these three Buddha beads, Qi Xiu immediately sensed the thick energy comparable to that of a Primordial Spirit True Honor upon them.

These three Buddha beads were indeed the magical treasures of the old monk's enlightenment.

Before entering parinirvana, he was just a step away from being a peak Dao Expert of the Primordial Spirit True Honor level, naturally, his enlightenment treasures were extraordinary.

And the fact that these three Buddha beads could be preserved through tens of thousands of years, nurtured and refined by the old monk who achieved Venerability through willpower.

Their quality and power are evident.

Having put away the pagoda and Buddha beads, Qi Xiu was about to speak when the old monk and the old dog beside him had already vanished.

In the blink of an eye, the small temple before him turned completely empty, and the enormous Buddha within the hall disappeared without a trace.

"Until hell is empty, I vow not to become a Buddha.

Today hell is indeed empty, and it's time for this poor monk to depart.

Buddha's compassion, how merciful indeed."

The old monk's last words resonated in the empty temple.

The Buddha beads in his hand faintly emitted a strand of searing warmth as if bidding farewell to their former master.

Looking at the empty temple, Qi Xiu lightly pressed his lips together, raised his hand to clasp them respectfully toward the vacant Buddha hall, and turned to leave.

Upon stepping into the small temple, the Buddha beads in Qi Xiu's hand suddenly grew scorching hot.

In the next instant!

The scene of hell in front of him faded like ink dissolving in water.

Wrapped by thick fog, accompanied by a dense, deep sound of footsteps, Qi Xiu found himself hesitating to leave.

"Indeed, the Hell Path Divine Artifact is formidable. From the moment I stepped into the Hell Forest, it invisibly cast a Soul-Capturing Method on me without my notice."

Realizing he was at the entrance of the Hell Forest, Qi Xiu felt a slight sense of awe in his heart.

This clearly indicated that he had fallen into the Hell Path Divine Artifact's methods when he entered the Hell Forest.

Being able to contend with our sect's Nine Heavens Shenxiao Thunder City, even partially awakened, it holds such immense power.

If it fully awakens, I fear there would be no other suppressive method than summoning the Nine Heavens Shenxiao Thunder City itself.

"Fortunately, the old monk has departed. Without his influence on the Hell Path Divine Artifact, its awakening has already slowed, and its energy has weakened significantly compared to before."

Using the Observing Qi Skill to monitor the energy changes of the Hell Path Divine Artifact, Qi Xiu discovered that its previously volcano-like energy was now much more stable.

"To re-suppress the Hell Path Divine Artifact, the Ten Directions Heavenly Thunder Division Law Seal above must be restored.

This Dharma Seal has already been sealed by the Acting Sect Leader in this Thunder Seal.

But I must approach within a hundred miles of the Hell Path Divine Artifact to successfully activate the Ten Directions Heavenly Thunder Division Law Seal in the Thunder Seal and restore the seal.

Surrounding the Hell Path Divine Artifact is an ocean of malevolent ghost souls, though they are merely insignificant fish.

"However, forcing too close may stimulate the artifact's further awakening."

With a thought, a seal appeared in Qi Xiu's hand, its whole form appearing like it was carved from purple-gold, with a grand and imposing Law Seal faintly visible below.

This was the Thunder Seal personally forged by Dongfang Xiong, containing the Ten Directions Heavenly Thunder Division Law Seal capable of re-suppressing the Hell Path Divine Artifact.

Taking a step forward, Qi Xiu transformed into a stream of Primordial Qi, instantly entering the depths of the Hell Forest.

The Primordial Qi could govern the Ten Thousand Laws and avoid stimulating the Hell Path Divine Artifact to the smallest extent.

Layer upon layer of dense fog resembled an ocean, countless cold and malicious figures drifting within.

These were all sect disciples of the Hell Dao from the Middle Ancient Era.

Back when the Shenxiao Sect destroyed the Hell Dao, the Hell Daoist cast a great curse, firstly cursing the Shenxiao Sect to eventually face great calamity and fall into a more miserable state than the Hell Dao.

Secondly, he bound the souls of all the Hell Dao sect disciples within the Hell Forest, turning it into a forbidden zone to prevent outsiders from easily entering the once main altar of the Hell Path.

Standing before this ocean, within the wave-like fog, hands constantly stretched forward as if to drag Qi Xiu in.

From nearly ten thousand miles away, Qi Xiu gazed afar, at the end of this foggy ocean, a towering fortress-like city wall stood cold and imposing.

The city wall was mottled and old, each brick surface exuded a soul-capturing and terrifying aura. Atop the city tower, two large flags, one red and one white, swayed in the wind, appearing like two eerie eyes, gazing at all living things before them.

"Is this the Sect-Defending Divine Artifact of the Hell Path... [Fengdu]?"

Even though it was still thousands of miles away, gazing at this enormous ancient city, Qi Xiu could feel an unbearable heaviness upon his soul, as if a weight of ten thousand pounds pressed down on his shoulders, making it hard to breathe.

At this moment, the originally tightly shut city gates of [Fengdu] had been pushed open a crack without anyone knowing.

Cold fog continuously escaped through this gap, the mist becoming the increasingly dense Soul Return Seven Fiends within Hell Forest!

Above the city tower of this giant city, an ancient purple-gold talismanic script hung high in the sky, continuously letting down strands of immensely powerful Thunder Light, suppressing the entire [Fengdu].

But under Qi Xiu's watch, a crack had already appeared at the lower right corner of the purple-gold talisman, as if forcibly torn open by someone.

This was done by Gao Tianxiong previously.

With the suppressing talisman damaged, and the previous deliberate agitation by the old monk, the ancient city of [Fengdu], dormant for tens of thousands of years, was awakened once again.

"To empower that talisman with the Thunder Seal, I must get within a hundred-mile range.

Before that, I must find a way to deal with these evil ghosts and vengeful spirits."

Retracting his gaze, Qi Xiu looked at the seemingly ocean-like fog before him, with countless figures wandering about.

The evil ghosts and vengeful spirits in this Sea of Ghosts weren't strong.

If it were outside, he wouldn't need much effort; a hundred external incarnations could jointly use Thunder Magic to eliminate this Sea of Ghosts.

But right now, it's not possible.

The seal on [Fengdu] was lacking, causing this Hell Path Divine Artifact to gradually awaken. Using overly strong methods so close would undoubtedly stimulate the artifact, likely prompting its quick revival.

"Fortunately, the old monk left me a solution while unsettling [Fengdu], otherwise I wouldn't easily comply with him."

With hands behind his back, Qi Xiu calmly focused, a strand of multicolored light flashed at his brow, and behind him, a massive shadow exuding terrifying might appeared.

These shadows possessed green faces and fangs, hideous features, holding iron tongs, scissors, axes, and various instruments.

They were precisely the fifty-one thousand prison guards of the eighteen layers of hell.

"Hear my command."

With a light call, the fifty-one thousand hell prison guards kneeling behind Qi Xiu immediately responded:

"We obey our lord's command!"

"Quickly drive the evil zombies before you into the eighteen layers of hell, never to reincarnate!"

The Hell Forest was filled with former Demon Sect sect disciples, occupying this place like a malignant tumor to the Shenxiao Sect.

Today, Qi Xiu would use the hands of these hell prison guards to completely purge all evil zombies from Hell Forest.

To lay the foundation for removing this tumor in the future!

...